(© BIVB / Bernuy J.L.)
Latricières-Chambertin is one of the eight grand cru vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, one of Burgundy's most famous villages. It lies on the Côte d'Or, just south of the famous Chambertin vineyard and above Mazoyères-Chambertin, and is planted exclusively to Pinot Noir. Latricières-Chambertin wines tend to be slightly more rustic than Gevrey-Chambertin's other grand cru vineyards.
The vineyard occupies a slight depression in the Côte d'Or – while Chambertin and Clos de Beze slope perfectly toward the sun, Latricières is almost completely flat, as is the Aux Combottes Premier Cru vineyard that separates it from the Morey-Saint-Denis commune. In fact, the only reason that Latricières-Chambertin is a grand cru site and Aux Combottes isn't is that Latricières is adjacent to the Chambertin site. South of both Latricières-Chambertin and Aux Combottes, the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru vineyard stretches up the hill once again to face the sun.
Like Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin has thin, chalky soils that are well suited to winegrowing, as they do not allow the vine to become complacent. Instead, the vines struggle to survive, producing small, intensely flavored berries instead of luxurious greenery. This combines with Burgundy's continental climate to make high-quality wines, although Latricières-Chambertin's aspect is not as favorable as many of the other grand cru vineyards along the Côte d'Or.
Latricières-Chambertin was given its grand cru status in July 1937, along with the rest of the Gevrey-Chambertin grand cru vineyards. It took the Chambertin suffix in the 19th Century, thanks to the Napoleonic law that allowed neighboring sites to take the name of the commune's most famous vineyard.
